Sheet-registering device



Dec. 10, 1929. c RQQT 1,738,799

SHEET REGISTERING DEVICE Filed 001',- 15 1927 INVENTORQ Char/e5 J? 3002A TTORNE Patented Dec. 10, 1929 CHARLES I. ROOT, F CLEVELAND, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO THE CHANDLER; AND PRICE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ACORPORATION OF OHIO SHEET-REGISTERING DEVICE Application filed. October13, 1927. Serial No. 225,927.

The present improvements relate more particularly to devices forregistering a sheet of paper on the platen in printing presses of theso-called platen or Gordon type. It will be understood, however, thatthe invention is not necessarily limited to use in any such particulartype of press. Ordinarily two end stops and one side stop are providedon such platen and preliminarily to printing, the sheet requires to beplaced with its corresponding edges in contact with these stops in orderthat it may properly register with the form. Various devices, more orless automatic in character, have heretofore been provided for effectingsuch register, but the object of the present invention is to provide adevice that is not only adapted to shift the sheet, as may be necessary,but also itself act as one of the aforesaid end stops. A further objectis to provide an extremely simple and readily adjustable device and onethat will not objectionably encumber the platen.

To the accomplishment of the'foregoing and related ends, the invention,then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularlypointed out in the claims, the annexed drawing and the followingdescription setting forth in detailcertain mechanism embodying theinvention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one ofvarious mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may beused. i

In said annexed drawing Fig. 1 is a broken plan view of a platen of aprinting press equipped with my present improved sheet registeringdevice; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof ,Fig. 3 is anend elevationof the same; Fig. 4 is part vertical section and part end elevation ofone port on of the device, the plane of such sectionbeing indicated bythe line 4-4, Fig. and Fig. 5 1S a-vertical section of another part, theplane of such section being indicated by the line 5-5, Fig. 1. V o Forthe purpose of illustration, my improved sheet registering device isshown as applied to the platen 1 of a typical Gordon press. It has beendeemed unnecessary to illustrate the manner in which such platen issupported for the oscillatory movement that requires to be impartedthereto order to the gripper bar 2 that is pivotally attached at itsrespective ends to the lower edge of the platen is actuated, but it willbe understood that the bar 2 is oscillated so as to swing the gripperfingers 3 carried thereby downwardly against the face of the platen,their function being to retain the sheet in place during the printingoperation. fingers to sheets of various size, they are preferablyadjustably mounted on the bar, :being secured in desired location bymeans of a clamp screw 4:- As indicated above, only a single end stop.5, in addition to the usual side stop 6, requires to be used. Suchstops, which are merely diagrammatically shown in Fig. 1, will bevariously located, depending upon the size of the sheet and otherconditions. Thus, the distance of end stop 5 from the registering deviceD, of present interest, will depend on the width of the sheet, it beingnoted that such device D occupies a relative position corresponding withthat ordinarily occupied by the second such end stop.

' This device extends upwardly from the lower edge of the platen inparallel relation to the face thereof and is oscillatorily mount: ed atits lower end on a bracket 10 that,as best shown in Fig. 5, comprisestwo parts adapted to be drawn together by means of a screw 11, such twoparts being formed with rabbeted grooves that fit a rail'13 ofcomplementary cross-section attached to the lower To accommodate saidedge of the platen. As a matter of fact, such rail 13 will be one of theusual tympan retaining bails with which the platen is ordinarilyprovided. I 7

- The main element in device D is a triangular shaped piece 12, of sheetmetal, the lower corner of which is provided with a slotted extension 12that is adjustably held by means of a screw 14 in a seat 15 formed inthe upper face of a supporting member 16. The latter includes acylindrical stud 17, rotatably mounted in a suitable bearing thereforprovided in bracket 10, being retained in place by means of a pin 18that extends transversely of said stud (Fig. 2). Said base 16 alsoincludes a laterally projecting arm 19 provided with a downwardlydirected pin 20 that is adapted to engage in a slot 21 formed in thehead 22 of a pin 23 that is in turn rotatably held in a bracket 24. Thelatter is slidably adjustably secured in the same slot 25 in the gripperbar 2 as are the gripper fingers 3 and said bracket will be rocked inunison wlth "said fingers. As a result of the swiveled connectionbetween-the bracket and the base 16, provided bythe pins 20 and 22,interconnected in the manner justdescribed, the efiect of oscillation ofbar 2 will be at the same time to oscillate said base-together Withthemember 12 ofthe registering device, despite the fact that the latterlies in an angularly related plane. r

'The upper free end of member 12 1s of .ircuate outline, save for aslightly pro ecting finger 30, and is so formed and arranged as toclosely contact with the tympan on the platen so thata sheetdeliveredonto the latter may-rideover the edge of said member and restonthe upper surface thereof. A

' flange 31 likewise of arcuate shape, approximately paralleling suchupper edge of memlays finger :30 on the lower member, its tip being bentupwardly so as to permit the sheet of paper to be received between thetwo fingers and there held under regulated pressure determined by thedegree of flexure given finger 35." 7

Having thus described the construction v and operation of the variouscomponent parts ofthe'device, theoperation thereof as a whole may nowrbeset forth. Assuming the gripperfingers 3 to be in raised positon, asshown in Fig.3, the action of bracket arm 24:

through its connection with the base 16 that carries the registeringdevice'proper will be such as to swing the latter lnto tlIG POSIUOD'shown in full lines in Fig. 1. 'This is the position in which thedevice receives the lower edge of the sheet when the latter is i restingon' the stop 5. Upon the bar 2 being 7 delivered to thejplaten, suchlower edge also oscillatedto swing the gripper fingers 8 against theplaten, device D will besimultaneouslyv swung in a clockwise directionto the position shown in dotted outline in Fig. 1 As av result, thesheet of paper being properly'gripped between the fingers 30 and 35 willbe shifted laterally until its; corre- Jedge of such sheet.

tinctly claim as my invention sponding side is brought against stop 6,following which the adjustment of the fingers slide along the edge ofthe sheet. The latter meanwhile rests in the trough-like flange 81 whichserves to properly locate such edge in final printing position, thislocation being determined by previous adjustment of member 12 on base16, as heretofore described. In other words, the member is adjusted sothat a radialline from its pivotal axis to the left-hand upper corner orheel will be exactly on a line with the upper edge of stop 5. Theremainder of the trough is preferably not strictly arcuate aboutthe sameaxis, but lies on a curve of gradually decreasing radius, on theorder'of 'a spiral. As a result the corner or heel that determines thefinal position of the sheet vertically of the platen is sure to comeinto effective contact with the lower Actually the latter may beslightly raised adjacent'the lower righthand corner, the location ofsuch lower edge adjacent the left-hand corner being of course determinedbyend stop 5. V r

The device D may be readily adjusted longitudinally of bar 2 by simplyloosening such screw 11, it being understood that the bracket arm 24will be simultaneously loosened and moved along to correspondingposition. All theparts comprising the device, including the operatingconnections between said arm 24 and the .base'16, may be readilyassembled anddisassembled, while the device occupies a minimum amount ofspace and, as will be obvious, does away entirely with the necess1ty ofany stop in the lower right-handcon ner of the platen. i Other modes ofapplying theprinciple of my invention may be employedinstead of v theone explained, changebeing made as regards'the mechanism hereindisclosed, pro vlded the means stated by any of thefollowing claims orthe equivalent of'such stated means be employed. I p

I therefore particularly point out and dis 1. The combinationv witha'platen having anend stop and a sidestop thereon,of a sheet receivingand registering device located intermediatelyof said stops, said devicebeing movable to carry a sheet received thereby towards said side stopand being. itself adapted to serve asa second end stop for such sheet.

2. The combination with a platen having an end stop and a side stopthereon, of a sheet receiving and registering device'locatedintermediat'ely of said stops, said device being oscillatory to carry asheet received thereby towards said side'stop and being itself adaptedto serve as a second end stop; for such sheet. j I

3. The combination with a platen' having anlend stop and a side stopthereon, of an oscillatory support adjacent the lower edge should besuch as to cause them to simply of said platen, and a "sheet receivingand registering member with a sheet-guiding means operating to a uniformline of presentment irrespective of the position of said member, saidmember being secured to said support so as to be adjustable transverselyof its axis of oscillation.

4:. The combination with a platen having an end stop and a side stopthereon, of an oscillatory support adjacent the lower edge of saidplaten, and a sheet receiving and registering member secured to saidsupport so as to be adjustable transversely of its axis of oscillation,the upper end of said member being formed with sheet-guiding means andprovided with sheet-gripping fingers contiguous to the latter.

5. The combination with a platen having an end stop and a side stopthereon, of an oscillatory support adjacent the lower edge of saidplaten, and a sheet receiving and registering member secured to saidsupport so as to be adjustable transversely of its axis of oscillation,the upper end of said member being formed with an arcuate trough-likeguide for the sheet and provided with resilient sheet gripping fingerscontiguous to said guide.

6. The combination with a platen having an end stop and a side stopthereon; of a gripper bar oscillatorily attached to the lower edge ofsaid platen; a sheet receiving and registering device locatedintermediately of said stops, said device being oscillatory in the planeof said platen and being adapted both to carry a sheet received therebytowards said side stop and itself to serve as a second end stop for suchsheet; and means operatively connecting said device with said gripperbar.

7 The combination with a platen having an end stop and a side stopthereon; of a gripper bar oscillatorily attached to the lower edge ofsaid platen; a sheet receiving and registering device locatedintermediately of said stops, said device being oscillatory in the planeof said platen and being adapted both to carry a sheet received therebytowards said side stop and itself to serve as'a second end stop for suchsheet; and a swiveled connection between said device and gripper barwhereby oscillation of the latter serves to oscillate the former.

8. A device for registering a sheet on the platen of a printing presscom rising an oscillatorily supported member 0 general triangular shape,said member being thus supported adjacent one corner and having a freeedge of general arcuate form and a finger projecting therebeyond, aflange parallel with such edge forming a trough-like guide for a sheetof paper, and a second member secured to said first member and having afinger cooperative with such first-named finger.

11. A device for registering a sheet onthe platen of a printing presscomprising an oscillatorily supported member of general triangularshape, said member being thus supported adjacent one corner and having afree edge of general arcuate form and a finger projecting therebeyond, aflange parallel with such edge forming a trough-like guide for a sheetof paper, and a second member removably secured to said first member andhaving a finger cooperative with such first-named fin er.

igned by me this 12th day of October, 1927.

CHARLES F. ROOT.

platen of a printing press comprising an oscillatorily supported memberformed with trough-like sheet-guiding means adjacent one edge thereofand provided with sheet-gripping fingers contiguous to said first-named7 means.

9. A device for registering a sheet on the platen of a printing presscomprising an oscillatorily supported member having an arcuatetrough-like guide for the sheet and resilient sheet-gripping fingerscontiguous toone end of said guide.

10.. A device for registering a sheet on the

